Ugandan police open fire on protesters

[Hannah Bell]

Police have opened fire on protesters in Uganda and imprisoned many in recent days. Two people were reported to be dead and 90 were treated for injuries in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on Friday. One of those killed was a two-year-old girl. There have been two weeks of protests over rising food and fuel prices.

Friday’s demonstration was a response to the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye the previous day. Besigye, who leads the Forum for Democratic Change, has organised a series of “walk to work” protests. It is the fourth time he has been arrested in the last month.

Further demonstrations were reported on Monday. The police arrested a number of prominent oppositionists, and a total of 102 people are said to have been imprisoned...

President Museveni has been in power since 1986. Britain and the United States identified Museveni as representing a new generation of African leaders who embodied what they described as an “African Renaissance”. Museveni led the National Resistance Army that overthrew President Milton Obote. As a guerrilla leader, he had always claimed to be a Marxist. But on coming to power he adopted neo-liberal economic policies and imposed a structural adjustment programme drawn up by the IMF. His government has privatised state enterprises and encouraged foreign investment...President Museveni recently extended the limit on presidential terms, allowing him to stand for re-election. His February victory will mean that by the time his latest term of office comes to an end he will have been president of Uganda for 30 years.


http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/may2011/ugan-m03.shtml